Alright, see it mentioned a lot of places on here, but what the heck is a fish stick set exactly? Excuse my dumb question, been out of the game for a few seasons and want to run a boat line this year on river/lake. Thanks!

Well, most of the time I've seen guys just spear a piece of fish, carp head, etc. out of the water on their stake and put traps below it. I'd think in PA it would be illegal for exposed sets. Some guys get around that by covering it with grass.

Dry grass strips wrapped around and over in the shape of a ball, then secured with wire at the grass ball base to the top of a stick, with some fish oil squirted on it works well in states prohibiting exposed bait.

Thanks guys I figured it was that simple!

Or if you have flat rocks - rock, fish, rock like a sandwich.

Brian

For me it’s a piece of 1/2” pvc about 18” long shoved in standing or flowing water with canned cat food in the pipe for bait. That’s just easier for me than catching bait , storing it in a freezer........... the cat food has plenty of odor and easy to apply. The pvc has eye appeal and as long as you keep most of the cat food in the pipe it should satisfy law enforcement.

How do you set your trap(s) then? Water depth? Certain locations?

the stick is bout a ft from bank

trap goes tween stick and bank in 1-2" water

That's the original poor boy set.
Small fish, fish head or chunk of fish speared on a stick and most always covered with long grass, folded over and wired tight.
Today, you'd just use a zip tie, for speed. (black )
A chunk of carp works well, cut frozen with a Saws-all and taken out of the freezer, the day you are going trapping.
On a 'chunk of carp' per say, you run the sharpened stick through the flesh, as opposed to the scales. Much easier that way.
In the old days, we drug a whole fresh carp along the bank from set to set.
This left a scent ( AND SOMETIMES, ) slime trail for raccoon and mink to follow.
Today , I use the Portable Pocket Set, which we make here in Ohio, but answer your question, that's how it's done !

LT G

Never used to many fish stick sets but when I did. I placed my bait In small burlap squares then I wired them to the stick. Then I placed the baited end Into a container of fish oil or some other lure. Then the whole thing took on that smell.

In this day of DPs you can just fill your DP with bait and zip tie It to a stick. Then you can place it In shallow water or deeper water what ever the location calls for.

No problem setting In water that's 5" or 6 " deep. As long as the coon can wade he's catchable.

I have seen where Mike Sells says he sets a 11 on each side, is that standard for you folks? At least in placement.

He also talks about otter and mink in them, which I can see to a lesser degree. Interested in experiences there.

I have seen a number of people with pictures underneath bridges, what other locations.

Lets say there Is a rock or an old stump setting along the bank and It sticks out a bit Into the water. Several things you can do here. But If your planning to use a fish stick set you can place the stick about 6" from that rock or stump. Then anchor your trap between the obstacle and the stick.

A lot of truth there !

believe its the Ohio trappers that have a couple books-top sets from respected trappers that details this and several other great sets.